Children of Two Worlds
by SweeneyGirl310593
Summary: A visit to Vulcan from Spock's cousin sparks a close friendship that will help them both navigate the road to adulthood. A series of one shots. Please R R. Reviews feel cuddlier than a tribble! Elements of NuTrek/AU (mainly Amanda's characterisation and family) but fits here better. Finally writing for TOS! Spot the TOS/ST:2009 references! Sweeney out.
1. Arrival

Amanda S'chn T'gai Greyson was startled from her doze by the bleeping of her computer. With the heady alertness of one woken unexpectedly she squinted at the screen and smiled at the name on the monitor. Melanie Greyson-Stewart, her elder sister by two years, hadn't commed in months.

"Do you have any idea what time it is on Vulcan?" she demanded playfully.

"And you're still up anyway" Mel retorted "you on your lonesome?"

"Sarek's at a conference until tomorrow and Spock's asleep so yes. How are you and the girls?"

"Great" Mel replied unconvincingly.

"Oh, no; I know that look. Something's wrong and you wanna talk is that right?" Amanda had the uncanny ability to read people like a book. A useful quality in a Vulcan ambassador's wife.

"I need some advice. Its about Harry. He got the research grant."

"But that's great! Tell him congratulations."

"Thanks but the planet he's been assigned is Xenac VI. We can't go. It's Alex." Mel said dejectedly.

"What's wrong with her?" Amanda asked, immediately concerned about her younger niece.

"Nothing. But the planet's environment is completely wrong for her. Permanent cloud cover. And they don't have the facilities to deal with Tellman's."

Ah. Alexandra suffered from a rare condition known as Tellman's Syndrome. Patients required abnormally high levels of Vitamin D and exposure to UV light as well as having various sensitivities to food and low temperatures resulting in asthma-like symptoms. Amanda thought that it was sad that in this day and age with such advancements in technology there were still conditions that were incurable. Still, with therapies available on Earth, Alex barely felt the effects of her disease. But now the whole family were having to move to a place without those therapies.

"Harry and I have no idea what to do. He's thinking of leaving the project so we can all stay here."

"But, Mel, that's his life's work! That agricultural research will benefit the entire Federation. And it will take years to train another person."

"We don't have any choice. It's either split up the family or leave. And I can't leave Alex here on her own for six months!"

"And it can't be done on any other planet?" Mel shook her head, raking a hand through dark hair.

Amanda made a decision. "You know, Tellman's is a specialty of the VSA and we get an awful lot of sun here. Alex can stay here on Vulcan while Harry does his work. We're closer to Xenac than Earth is so you guys can visit. "

"Oh, Mandy would you? And Sarek. You sure he won't mind?" Mel's relief was almost tangible over the comm link.

"Of course not! Besides, it would be great for Spock to have a kid near his own age around. Especially his cousin. It will be great for them to get to know each other."

It was Mel's turn to feel concern. Amanda often talked of Spock's lack of compatibility with other Vulcan children. Their attitude to him ranged from indifference to downright hostility and that wasn't just the kids. Mel remembered her shock when Amanda had told her the words of one of his teachers; "His grading in my class is slightly below average but that is only to be expected given the mean aptitude levels in humans". Apparently racism was logical. Mel had never understood her brother-in-law's culture as her sister had and comments like that were not exactly an incentive to learn. The kid was barely nine for Godsake!

"When you dropping her off then? I can't wait to see her! It's been, what, a year? She grown much?"

"You wouldn't believe it! You'll get along like a house on fire! We're due to leave in a month if everything goes ahead."

"See you then, Sis" Amanda smiled.

"I don't know, Mandy, it's a lot to ask of you…"

"Would you stop?! For one thing you didn't ask, I offered and for another your my sister and I'd do anything for you so shut up and get packing!"

* * *

The next month saw Spock and his family waiting on a nearby landing platform for his cousin's arrival. It was not in Spock's nature to make prejudgements but when he had been told of the reason for his cousin's visit and about her illness he had been expecting a slightly sickly, more quiet, studious child than she had once been. A most suitable companion. The dark haired girl who tumbled into his life, however, was a very different being. She fell rather than disembarked from the shuttle, almost knocking the Vulcan who had operated the door over "Woops! Sorry about that!" she yelped with a grin before turning to Spock's mother. "Aunt Mandy!" she cried "Great to see you!". The woman and girl embraced before the rest of the family got out. Spock exchanged a glance with his father.

After somewhat more composed greetings had been exchanged between the adults, the two younger children were left to their own devices. "Hey, Spock!" she said, attempting a very clumsy version of the Vulcan salute "wow, you've grown!"

"An unnecessary observation since it is some years since we last saw each other"

Alex laughed "Right. You were, what, four?"

"Four years, two months and eight days in Terran terms" he recited automatically "I believe you had been five for 19 days"

"Even I don't remember that! Mum said Vulcans have great memories. I've been doing some research before I came. Is it true you have giant teddy bears here?"

"Selats are not giant teddy bears but do have an ursine appearance its true" responded the boy "they also are in possession of six inch long fangs."

"Way cool!" the girl evaluated.

"I fail to understand why the temperature is significant. Also Vulcan's temperature is approximately-" he broke off when Alex started laughing. "I do not see how what I've said is amusing."

"No, its, its not literally cool. I just meant, oh never mind, I'll tell you later. Blimey, your right it is hot here!" she fanned herself, the movement exaggerated in what he was quickly learning was a customary way for her.

"Alex" called Amanda "You parents have to go now!". The children walked back over.

**AN: Just a short little intro for our two cuzes. What do you guys think? Obviously I've taken some liberties with Amanda's family tree and how often she may have visited Earth with or without Spock and Sarek but hope it works. VSA= Vulcan Science Academy. Sweeney out.**


	2. Bonding

"SPOCK!" Alex screeched.

Her cousin, were he human, would have sighed. How had this happened?

Well, actually he knew exactly how it had happened. After three weeks of settling in, home study (apparently summer holidays didn't exist on Vulcan) and trips around the local cultural sites, Alex had asked if she and Spock could go 'exploring' in the mountains. It turned out that she was quite the nature girl. Her long disappearances used to be a constant worry for her parents, afraid of her being lost without medication. But she had never forgotten it or her way yet. Still, Amanda had decided against it and Alex was apprehensive of even asking Sarek. If she was honest, and she generally was, her uncle's severity made her feel strangely inhibited around him.

Of course this refusal had made her more determined in the pursuit and she had persuaded her cousin to go along chiefly to keep her out of trouble. "After all, you wouldn't want me to be going alone, would you? And you did that khas-wan thing, right? We'll be fine!"

They had not been. Within an hour of their excursion, his cousin's medication had been misplaced. Spock knew he should have insisted upon returning immediately but the exuberant human had walked on, calling "We'll be back before my next shot. You can go home if you want" behind her. He replied that he would do no such thing and trailed after her.

For a while it had been considerably more enjoyable and the two children sat on a ridge, surrounded by course grasses, watching the sun fall across the cloudless sky and the ebb and flow of the shadows over the peaks. "Man, we could do with a picnic up here! It's beautiful! Are there birds up here?" Alex rambled. Spock was still getting used to her aversion to long silences. She had leaped up with a laugh and flapped her arms making sharp cawing sounds in between giggles. "Excuse me, Alex, but what are you doing?" Spock asked, furrowing slanted brows.

"I'm an eagle! Or a phoenix? Yeah, definitely a phoenix" the girl decided.

"I would advise caution, Alex. You are drawing quite close to the edge and it looks to be rather unstable" her cousin warned.

"You've got to relax, already!" the girl yelled.

That was before the sediment beneath her feet gave way. Despite Vulcan agility, Spock was unable to reach his cousin before she disappeared out of sight. A moment of agonising silent confusion stretched before he heard Alex's cry. He scanned below the ridge to see her lying in a steep groove some 20 feet below, holding on to a seam of harder rock with trembling arms. "Spock please!" sobbed the girl "I'm slipping!". A human boy might have given in to a similar panic but Spock calmly analysed the situation. For one thing, Alex was not in as severe danger as she believed. A further fifteen feet down the slope, a shelf of rock would prevent her from falling further. For another, he could see a clear path for him to reach the shelf from his current position. He would be able to guide her down. If he could persuade her to cease panicking, that was.

"Alex, attempt to calm yourself. You will be perfectly safe if you follow my instructions. Are you injured?"

"I don't know! My leg I think…" she was beginning to hyperventilate.

"Alexandra, try to breathe gently and regularly. I will attempt to join you to guide you down. There is a shelf of rock approximately 15.1 feet below you."

"No don't! You'll fall too!"

"How else do you propose that I offer assistance? Besides, Vulcans receive extensive training in survival skills from approximately four years and six months. I will be quite safe".

"We really need to define approximately, Spock" the girl replied. Good, sarcasm suggested she was considerably calmer.

The descent was rather harder than Spock had anticipated. Several times he scraped his limbs, causing Alex no small amount of anxiety. He reached her level and began the difficult task of guiding her to the shelf. Once both of them were safely seated on the outcrop, Spock inspected his cousin's ankle and his brows furrowed again. It was twisted, swollen and covered in purpling bruises. She was also bleeding from several shallow cuts on her right limbs. "What is it?" she asked.

"You appear to have a severely sprained right ankle as well as several lacerations-" began Spock.

"God, I'm so sorry Spock! This whole thing was stupid. I'm so stupid" the girl held her face in her hands in guilty embarrassment.

"It is most illogical to apologise for being injured. And I do not believe your actions, however imprudent, to prove deficiency in intelligence."

She gave a lopsided smile and took a deep breath, attempting to get to her feet.

"I do not believe it wise to put weight on that ankle, Alex" he told her and, for once, she heeded his words.

"What are we going to do? Oh, God! My meds! My next shot's due in an hour!" she cried "I feel like I need it now. And have you seen the sky?!"

Spock had indeed noticed the beginning of the Vulcan sunset "I believe it would be unwise to move from our current position. I have brought a communicator with us but it is back at the higher ridge. I will fetch it and call my parents to appraise them of the situation. You must wait here."

Alex bit her lip and nodded. "Can you tell them I'm sorry?" she asked softly, clearly feeling that the next few moments would be some of the longest of her short life.

When Spock returned from comming his mother at the higher ridge, he assured Alex that assistance would arrive within 2.4 hours. "The sky's pretty" she stated. Spock couldn't help thinking that it was a rather strange time to appreciate nature but agreed with her.

Over the next two hours, Alex's condition worsened. She began shivering and her breath came in wheezing gasps between apologies. Spock wrapped her in his overtunic and folded an arm around her shaking shoulders as his mother had done in his infancy, his cousin's need for comfort and warmth eclipsing his own aversion to excessive physical contact. Touch telepathy with a girl in pain and a state of high anxiety was a less than pleasant sensation. By the time the small transport shuttle arrived, she was asleep.

* * *

Later that night, after Alex's medication had been administered and the healer that usually treated Amanda summoned, Spock was given a severe reprimand from both of his parents. Of course, Alex had been scolded and given the standard 'and what would we have told your parents?' lecture but it was much less than she felt she deserved, mainly owing to her weakened condition no doubt. Alex could be wilful and rebellious but she was also a girl of integrity and it hurt to hear her cousin bearing the verbal brunt of her own stupidity. "I would expect better of you, my son" Sarek began sternly.

"Uncle Sarek, please! It wasn't his fault, honest! I told him I was going to go whether he came or not and he felt he had to come with me to, you know, keep me safe 'cause he knows it round here. He was only protecting me and he saved my life up there. I'm an idiot and selfish and it was all my fault. And I hope you and Aunt Mandy won't send me away and it doesn't mean I can't come back sometime because I really like it here. It won't happen again" she finally paused for breath, looking up at the Vulcan hopefully. She had stood, despite the pain.

There was a strange, if subtle expression in Sarek's eyes. He was quite taken aback at the eloquence of his niece by marriage who had unleashed this apologetic tirade having spoken barely a sentence to him before. He was also very appreciative of her repentant defence of her cousin and, could it be, slightly amused. He didn't exactly smile but his face definitely lost some of its usual controlled tension "You need not worry about the possibility of future visits, Alexandra. You will still be most welcome. A childish lapse will not incur our permanent disapproval. We merely wish to impress upon you the seriousness of the danger you may have placed yourself in. In regard to Spock, he should have consulted either myself or Amanda and so some responsibility must fall to him. The healer will soon arrive and it would be wise to rest before she inspects your injury." Sarek inclined his head and left the sitting room.

"Well done, Alex" Amanda told her, rubbing her good arm affectionately "thankyou for being honest. It would have been easy to let Spock take the blame. "

"No it wouldn't! He's too logical!". Amanda laughed.

"You won't tell Mum and Dad will you?" Alex asked with a wince.

"Alex, I have to. You nearly broke your leg! They visit in a couple of weeks anyway but I think they'll want to come earlier now. Just to make sure you're okay. Now, get some rest."

Then the cousins were alone. They exchanged a glance. "I must leave to complete my studies, Alex, I will return to check on you later" Spock said. He didn't say thankyou. He didn't have to. Alex was becoming quite good at reading Vulcans and appreciation was in his eyes, which had been called human.


	3. Proving

For a while after the Ankle Incident, Alex's capability for trouble was impaired somewhat. She was still a reluctant resident on the settee when her parents and sister Kaycee arrived a week later. Both Mel and Harry alternated between treating Alex to severe scolding and affection. Kaycee's only words on the subject were "You're gonna end up getting yourself killed, you know", which seemed to be pretty much the usual level of communication between the sisters judging by the following week. Spock's older cousin spent the majority of her time in her guestroom chatting animatedly to several of her friends. His sensitive hearing caused him to overhear segments of this inane talking, mainly about how best to artificially darken one's complexion and attract members of the opposite sex. Spock found it most illogical. After all, it would be some years before Kaycee would be allowed to pursue a romantic relationship with any of these young males and he had never grasped why some human females spent so much energy concerning themselves with appearance. There were surely much more efficient ways to spend one's time and consideration. His few attempts to enlighten her of this were met with a flippant "whatever, weirdo". Sometimes, however, Kaycee's words were rather more unpleasant. "God, I can't wait till I'm home! Six months I've got to go from some completely dead glorified farm on some backwater to here whenever my idiot sister decides to get herself into trouble. I don't care if she's sick alright, she's irritating. Especially with everyone fawning over her like she's some little angel…The Vulcans? I swear these people all have sticks up their ass, even the half-breed kid. I can't believe my Aunt Mandy wanted to actually marry one of those freaks! They can't love anyone. I mean what's that even like?". Spock had to make a physical effort to relax his fingers, which had tensed into fists. His usual level of emotional control slipped somewhat whenever the other children used the 'H-word' and the fact Kaycee was family made it all the more unpleasant.

Otherwise, it was an enjoyable week for most. For a number of months, life was quiet, punctuated by similar visits. After Alex had introduced Spock to several rather irrational works of literature and board games he decided to teach his cousin to play chess and the Vulcan lyre (the first with rather more success than the second as musical rhythm was definitely not Alex's forte although she was an enthusiastic student).

It was over one of these games that Alex concocted her next scheme. "Do you reckon I could go visit your school for a day? You know, just to see what it's like?"

Spock paused. The other children treated him with enough hostility. How would they respond to the arrival of a fully human girl? "I do not believe that would be allowed, Alex."

"Why? Afraid I'll cramp your style with my illogical human ways?" she teased. He gave her a significant look "you're not serious? They won't let me visit 'cause I'm human? Wait, you're always serious. I guess the whole IDIC thing goes out the window!" the girl was trying to make light of it but it stung to think that Vulcans would not accept her on equal terms. She moved her knight.

"My father says that emotional control takes many years to perfect and so children are still on occasion susceptible to irrational prejudice. This they have demonstrated. On one occasion, I too lost my emotional control and became violent towards them."

Alex was taken aback, seeing clearly how much that admission had cost the boy "You became violent? A Vulcan in a temper? Now that I'd like to see!"

"I do not believe you would" Spock replied, moving a pawn.

"I thought prejudgements were illogical. Come on, Spock, at least ask! I'm really curious. Otherwise I might have to find a way to get my own way anyhow."

"Given the consequences last time you exhibited such an attitude, Alex, I feel it best to ask permission rather than forgiveness or advise my mother that the services of her healer will be needed again."

Alex looked up "wait, was that a joke?"

"You may take it as such if it pleases you, krei. Very well, I will consult my mother on the subject."

Alex grinned, "checkmate!"

"Come on let me take the test!" Alex said to the older child.

"I do not believe that would be a productive use of our time. Besides, the classroom is locked and is off limits without the presence or permission of our instructors" said the Vulcan boy with a severe look.

"No problem, I learnt to jimmy doors years ago. Peeking at Christmas presents. Which means nothing to you, I guess" she said absently.

"I've heard of that tradition" said another of the boys with a barely perceptible edge to his voice "a story about an impossible birth that has perpetuated an annual torrent of more than usually illogical behaviour among Terrans"

"Gawd, you guys really need to loosen up!" Alex rolled her eyes.

"Will you attempt to instil some respect for the rules into your…relative?" said the only girl in the Vulcan group, turning to Spock sternly.

"Nobody's managed yet" Alex replied sardonically, then "hey, we're in!"

She walked into the classroom in rapid strides, leaving her cousin and his classmates to trail after her. It was certainly different from any other classroom she had been in, with dim lighting save for the panoramic screens built into what reminded her of craters in the floor. Spock had told her that when undertaking a test or personal project, each child was fired questions by the computers built into them. She pulled a switch mounted next to one of them. "C'mere, Spock. Help me choose a programme. My Vulcan's still a bit shaky". He gave her a significant look. She nodded. The two cousins selected a mathematics and science test aimed at Alex's age group. She climbed into the pod and Spock stood back to join the other Vulcans.

"I predict she has a 86.7% chance of scoring below pass level" said the girl serenely.

"I believe those odds to be incorrect" responded Spock defiantly.

And he was right. When the computer calculated her score it registered at well above pass level. She climbed out of the pod and simply walked past the Vulcan children with a quietly triumphant "tra du hal-tor" and then "C'mon Spock, we gotta be going now.

Spock felt a very strange sensation then. When he described it to his mother later she said "Well, I think you were proud of her". And as illogical as it was, Spock found himself agreeing. After all, Amanda was rarely wrong.

_A/N: Finally another update! Sorry! Very overdue! I know the Vulcan kids might seem a bit too racist but hey, Spock's bullies were. Hope your all enjoying this. Please review to let me know if I'm doing ok! Might not be able to update very often again as uni work is pretty busy but will try. The chronological leaps get longer in the next chapters. Oh and krei=female cousin, IDIC=Infinite diversity in infinite combinations (one of Surak's mottos) and tra du hal-tor=there you go (thought was appropriately sassy that she would say it in Vulcan!). Also, let me know if I should put it in the ST:2009 section or if it's fine here. :) Sweeney out._


End file.
